Six Tips for Choosing Colorimeters

As a color measurement tool used to realize color quantification and color analysis, a portable colorimeter can establish color standards, achieve color quality control. It is an indispensable precision instrument in color matching and color comparison and a comprehensive guide for your color science. At present, there are many colorimeter brands on the market, with uneven quality and accuracy. Not only are there great differences in price, function and internal structure, but also in application industry. Therefore, when choosing a portable color meter, we must pay attention to a variety of factors when choosing handheld color difference meter. In this paper, we summarized six tips for choosing handheld colorimeter. Let's read it!

I. Colorimeter vs spectrophotometer

1. Portable colorimeter is a color measurement tool for psychophysical analysis, which measures human eye-brain perception. Colorimetric data are often directly read and provided as tristimulus values-X,Y,Z. The Lab and Lch values can be calculated according to the tristimulus values. By using portable colorimeter, we can know the specific color code in Pantone or other color charts.

2. Spectrophotometer is a color measuring instrument for physical analysis. It can analyze the reflecting transmitting properties of objects without human interpretation. Spectrophotometer can indirectly calculate colorimetric information. It is mainly used to measured light intensity ( the wavelength of light). There are many kinds of spectrophotometers, their common feature is expensive.

If you just want to achieve the color quality control in the production process, a portable color meter would meet your requirements. Linshang portable color difference meter can be used in many industries such as car paint spraying, test paper printing, leather fabrics, plastic metal, textile and clothing, hardware, furniture industry, plastics, rubber and other fields.

II. Color quality control in products production

Android Color quality control App interface

Color difference accuracy requirements differ in different industries. When talking about color difference accuracy, we usually mentioned ΔE*ab. ΔE*ab means standard deviation (average value of 30 measurements on whiteboard every 3s after calibration). The accuracy of the handheld colorimeter can be said very high, when the ΔE*ab is within 0.08. The ΔE*ab of Linshang portable colorimeter is 0.03. This accuracy can meet most of the color matching requirements. Linshang color difference meter can provide accurate color comparison when comparing the color of the standard and sample. This handheld color meter has QC testing function when providing color comparisons. We can set the ΔE value as 0-50. If the ΔE valus is smaller than the value we set, the digital color meter will display PASS.

III. Portable colorimeter of 45°/0 or d/8° integrating sphere

Common optical structures of colorimeters include "45°/0 degrees" and "d/8° degrees integrating spheres". The former can only measure smooth surfaces and cannot be used for computer color matching. The latter has stable measurement data and can measure the color on various surfaces. It can be used for computer color matching. Linshang LS171 has a "CIE-conforming d/8° sphere geometry". LS170 color meter has a 45°/0 use . A practical use for a 45°/0 color instrument is to check color consistency of consumer products when product appearance is a deciding factor in the product purchase.

IV. How to use handheld colorimeter?

When choosing color instrument, the convenience of operation and portability is also required. The ease of colorimeter operation must be determined according to the user. Portable and hand-held colorimeters are user-friendly, easy to operate, capable of one-button measurement and rapid analysis.

Step 1: Turn on the color meter and Bluetooth and connect.
Step 2: Color measurement and color comparison can be choosen.
Step 3: Press the button on the instrument or on the mobile App to measure the color.
Step 4: Lab and Lch values of the color are displayed.

For details about the portable color meter operation, please watch this video.

V. Does the colorimeter have national measurement certification?

The portable colorimeter is a measurement instrument. When choosing, it is necessary to understand whether the portable colorimeter has met the national measurement requirements.

After mastering the above selection criteria, users of portable colorimeters can purchase various colorimeters on the market according to their actual needs. The Linshang portable colorimeter is independently developed by Linshang. It is a high-tech product integrating colorimetry, modern optoelectronics and computer science, which can meet the different needs of users.